


Elegance

by DefaltManifesto



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Female Friendship, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 10:57:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6800860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefaltManifesto/pseuds/DefaltManifesto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rinkah and Charlotte have a long needed talk and adopt a wyvern along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Elegance

**Author's Note:**

> Technically happens during/after Chapter 20 of Revelations so spoilers up through then.

[The tumblr](http://schizzar.tumblr.com)

 

Rinkah hurled the tomahawk across the field, striking one of the Vallite soldiers straight in the head before pulling the club from her belt and smashing it over the head of the lancer heading towards her. It only stunned him but before either of them could move, a voice screamed out her name. Rinkah whirled in time to see her tomahawk flying through the air. She ducked but it was enough of a distraction for the Vallite lancer to lunge forwards. She moved enough that she didn’t get run through, but she couldn’t help but fall to her knees as blood began to pour from her side at the glancing blow.

Before she could move to retaliate, Charlotte was in front of her, axe in hand which she spun and lopped off the lancer’s head with. Rinkah got to her feet and picked up her tomahawk and club, adrenaline rushing through her fast enough that she no longer felt the pain of her wound. Being part of the Flame Tribe helped with that at the very least.

“Rinkah,” Charlotte said. “Hold on.”

“Don’t be stupid, we have to rejoin the front line,” Rinkah said, breaking into a run across the craggy rock filled island.

Charlotte groaned in frustration and took off after her. She caught Rinkah’s arm, the strength of her grip enough to yank Rinkah back before she forced a vulnerary into Rinkah’s free hand. “At least drink this, dummy. I’ll cover you on our way back.”

Rinkah couldn’t even believe they’d gotten separated in the first place, but one of the royals had moved the bridges before they had time to get across it. There was another one still in place on the other end of the island they were on though. She tilted her head back and drained the small flask of its contents. There wasn’t a lot left but it was enough to send a tingling numbness through her and start working at her wound.

The bridge started to glow and she and Charlotte doubled their efforts, sprinting across the island. Charlotte reached it first, leaping onto it as it started to disengage from the island. Rinkah moved to jump and follow her but her side send a burning shooting pain through her, making her falter and fall to her knees. Charlotte didn’t even hesitate, jumping down from the bridge and landing beside her.

“Idiot!” Rinkah said, throwing her off as the bridge moved out of range towards where the fighting was. “They need you!”

"You need me more!” Charlotte shouted. “Look!”

She spun Rinkah around and Rinkah cursed as she saw the fleet of wyvern knights heading towards them.

“Let’s hope that bridge comes back with reinforcements,” Rinkah said, pulling her club from her side.

"We’ve got this,” Charlotte said.

Rinkah looked over at her, watching as Charlotte pulled out her smaller hatchets and twirled them in her hands. She knew that Charlotte wasn’t a pushover, that her appearance and careful application of make up before every battle was more about finding a suitor and struggling with her own femininity than being shallow and weak. Charlotte had saved her life more than a few times by now.

Charlotte looked across the island and then raced over to one of the fallen bodies.

“You any good with a bow?” she called, picking up the bow and quiver of leftover arrows.

“Flame Tribe fighters are good with anything,” Rinkah said.

“Even with your side?” Charlotte asked. “I don’t want you going out on me again like that.”

“Give me that,” Rinkah said, yanking the bow from her and slinging the quiver over her shoulder. It was a Nohrian style bow, which admittedly she didn’t have a ton of experience with. It was enough though.

She got the first wyvern knight in her sights and let the arrow fly. It was a direct hit, tearing through the meat of its wing. She took another two shots to strike it again through the wing, forcing it to land four small islands away. Rinkah set her sights on another and continued to fire the arrows.

“Okay Rinkah, they’re getting too close, grab your club,” Charlotte said.

Rinkah bit her lip and fired another shot and then reached back for her last arrow and aiming towards the left. She let the arrow fly only to be tackled to the ground a moment by Charlotte as a wyvern knight swung his axe towards them. They both sprung to their feet and went back to back, dodging the jaws of their winged opponents and searching for weaknesses.  Screamed out a roar and Her side ached and throbbed as she ducked another blow but she did her best to ignore it.

She hurled her tomahawk across the island, slicing straight through one of the knight’s heads. It was a good idea in theory, but without a rider, the wyvern went nuts, charging towards her across the ground. Rinkah braced herself, ready to leap over it when it reached her, but then Charlotte was racing passed her and flinging herself through the air. She landed on the saddle backwards but twisted quickly before seizing the reins in her hands and yanking the beast’s head to direct it towards one of their enemies.

It screamed out a roar as it swiped its claws at their remaining enemy. It was enough of a distraction that Rinkah was able to slice the beast’s neck before jumping on top to dispose of its rider. Rinkah turned back around, watching as Charlotte battled the wyvern, an angry expression on her face as she forced it to obey her commands. Finally, it settled, wings flapping out at its sides so Rinkah could climb up and mount it.

“So you know how to tame wyverns too?” Rinkah asked as she curled her arms around Charlotte’s waist. All she could feel was her abs, tight and strong just like her own.

Charlotte tossed her head over the shoulder opposite of where Rinkah had placed her head. “I did a brief stint in the army as a wyvern knight but decided wyverns weren’t exactly a flattering thing for a woman to ride.”

“You know, no one cares if you ride a wyvern. Competence doesn’t mean you’re unattractive.”

“You must not know many nobles,” Charlotte said as she guided the wyvern across the skies towards their allies. “Anyways, I’ll let you dismount and keep this guy for the rest of the battle. Who knows, maybe someone can use one?”

“Right…”

Rinkah didn’t bother to point out that that someone could easily just be Charlotte.

 

-.-

 

“We could slaughter it for meat,” Xander said.

They had already settled in for the night to camp, but the royals, Rinkah, and Charlotte had gathered to decide what to do with their newly captured wyvern. Rinkah glanced over at Charlotte, not surprised to see her lower lip trembling.

“But we can’t!” Charlotte said.

“We can’t go around taking in every stray wyvern we find,” Takumi said.

“There’s no one else in this army who needs a mount?” Hinoka asked. “Camilla?”

“Oh certainly not,” Camilla said. “I love my baby just fine.”

“Meat makes the most sense then,” Ryoma said with a nod. “Do we have anyone who knows how to break one of these down?”

Rinkah raised her hand. “We’ve done it a few times during famine in our tribe. I can handle it.”

“Rinkah!” Charlotte started to cry for real then.

Rinkah honestly wasn’t sure if she was putting on a show or if she really felt that way. “Well, there is someone in this army who already has prior experience with a wyvern. And it can’t hurt to have more when we keep getting attacked by squadrons of them.”

“Another winged knight wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Hinoka said. “Subaki and I are good but sometimes we can’t stand up to the wyvern knights the way Camilla and Beruka can. But who were you thinking of?”

When Rinkah looked back at Charlotte, her tears had dried up and she was glowering at Rinkah. Rinkah just raised an eyebrow in response. Charlotte’s lips twisted into an ugly sneer that died the moment she turned to look back at the Royals.

“I worked as a wyvern knight for several years,” Charlotte said. “I can do it, if it will spare the poor thing’s life. It’s just not my ideal choice.”

“But you can fight with it?” Xander asked. “That’s all we really need.”

“Yes, I can fight with.”

“Then it’s settled. He’s all yours.”

Charlotte smiled. “Great.”

 

-.-

 

When they got back to their tent, Charlotte grabbed Rinkah’s arm, yanking her back so that they were face to face.    

“Why would you make me do that?” she demanded.

"What, admit a little bit about yourself and who you are?” Rinkah asked, grabbing Charlotte’s wrist and pulling her hand away.

“Those were _royals_. None of them would marry such a brute that would do something as masculine as manage a wyvern.”

Rinkah folded her arms across her chest. “Have you met Hinoka? You know if she had grown up in a country that had wyverns, she’d ride one in a heartbeat, it just doesn’t make sense for her to try and learn it right now. None of those guys are going to think you’re less of a woman for that.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” Charlotte said, whirling away from her and sitting down on one of the cots. “It’s not like you’re looking to marry anyone.”

“No, I’m not,” Rinkah said, sitting down on the cot next to her. It wasn’t like her to be so talkative, but she was starting to get sick of all of Charlotte’s flip flopping. “My tribe values strength over everything else. If you’re not a strong woman, no man or woman or anyone else in their right mind would marry you.”

“I…see,” Charlotte said, turning to face her.

"I was…a really feminine girl growing up,” Rinkah said, looking down at her lap. “My mother and father had to reach me not to be and I hated them for it for a long time. I put on muscle and hated what I saw when I looked in the mirror and to some extent, I think I still do. But I’ve become a lot more comfortable with myself, especially since I became a part of this war and interacted with all the people I have met. Being a warrior doesn’t make me a woman, and being feminine doesn’t either. I’m a woman because that’s who I identify as. Anyone who doesn’t want you because you can ride a wyvern and save your fellow soldiers’ lives is an absolute idiot.”

“That’s the most you’ve ever said to me,” Charlotte said with a delicate sniff as she wiped at her nose.

“Yeah, don’t expect me to really make a habit of it,” Rinkah said. “Look, Charlotte…I know you said you need to marry for status and I don’t really get that being the Chieftain’s daughter and everything, but get why you’d want to. I’m not saying you can’t do that. Just don’t marry a guy who says you have to stop fighting and doing what you love. I…don’t think I could stand that.”

“Why not?” Charlotte asked.

“Because…we’re friends, I think. I don’t know, I’m pretty bad at it but I feel like we’ve become…close, or something,” Rinkah said, flushing red. “And I want you to be happy.”

Charlotte’s eyes welled up and she flung herself at Rinkah, crying against her neck as she clung to her. “Thank you!”

“Uh, no problem,” Rinkah said, patting her gently on the back.

Charlotte raised her head and pressed their lips together in a soft kiss and Rinkah couldn’t help the way her eyes widened. Then she relaxed, cupping the back of Charlotte’s head and tangling her fingers through the soft blonde locks to hold her close as the kiss deepened and Charlotte’s hand trailed down her back.

“I’m not really a suitor,” Rinkah said.

“I know that,” Charlotte said. “But right now, kissing you is going to make me happy and for once, I’m going to do what makes me happy. I mean, if you’re okay with that.”

Rinkah pushed Charlotte onto the cot and rolled on top of her. “I’m very okay with that.”

Charlotte grinned and yanked her back down.


End file.
